Windmill



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH MCKNIGHT, OF MIDDLEPORT, OHIO.

WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,756, dated January5, 1892..

Application filed January 5, 1891. Serial No. 376,733. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH MoKNIeHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Middleport, in the county of Meigs and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in lVind-Vheels; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved construction of wind-wheels bywhich the direct action of the wind against the blades, without theintervention of any governors or similar devices, regulates the amountof their surface to be safely exposed, causing this latter to bedecreased as the force of the wind increases, so that in case of astrong gale, which, if acting on a fullyexposed wheel, would increasethe speed to a ratio which would ultimately wreck the structure, theblades are nearly turned edgewise to the wind, preventing possibleinjury to the wheel from this source. In extreme cases this directadjustment is aided by the provision of a friction-brake, which isoperated automatically by a governor. Further, an additional brake hasbeen provided whereby the wheel may be stopped from below, all of whichwill be fully explained in the following specification and illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a partial front viewof a Windwheel. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, part of the vanebeing omitted.

6 are the blades of the wheel, which latter is secured to a shaft 7,revolving in two bearings 8 and 9, extending out and up from a sleeve10. This sleeve revolves about a central bearing 11, superposed upon aframe 12, and is vertically confined between two flanges 13 13,extending out from said bearings. Near the other end of shaft 7 is avane 14, secured to sleeve 10 andbearing 9, serving as a means to keepthe wheel always in the wind. Braces 15, secured to arms 21, extendingout laterally from bearing 8, run back to this vane to stiffen it.

16 is an uprightshaft revolving in bearings 17 and 18, receiving motionfrom shaft 7 by means of two bevel-wheels l9 and 20. Near its lower enda short horizontal shaft 22 is located and actuated by shaft 16 throughthe intervention of a pair of miter-wheels 23 and 24., having 011 itsouter end a crank-wheel 25,

from whence a connecting-rod 26 runs to the object to be operated by thewheel. These objects are usually pumps; but of course other devices maybe operated equally as well.

Frame 12, which is preferably of iron, rests on a suitable woodenstructure 27,. which reaches to the ground.

Thus far the parts described comprise the general construction of anordinary windmill.

The variation of the amount of blade-surface exposed to the wind isattained by the following construction: The wheel consists of twocircular frames 29 and 30, each having the same number of arms 31 and32, (ten in this case,) running toward the center. To the arms 32 offrame 30 the blades 6 are pivotally secured by hinges 33, while arms 31of frame 29 pass through loops 34., secured to the backs of blades 6.These loops retain the hinged blades in the proper position and preventthem from flopping over during the revolution of the wheel. The firstframe 29 is rigidly secured to shaft 7, while frame 30 sits looselythereon. Secured to shaft 7 between the two frames there are a number ofarms 35, from which springs 36 connect to the loose frame 30. Theposition of these arms 35 and the length and tension of the'springs 36are so arranged that the second frame 30 is held in about a positionwith reference to frame 29, as shown in the drawings. This position isconsidered to be about the normal one for ordinary purposes. In place ofthe form of springs shown a spiral spring secured with its inner end tothe shaft and its outer end to some point on frame 30 might besubstituted. Should the power of the wind striking the blades increaseto such a strength as to overcome the tension of the springs 36, theblades will be depressed, sliding along in loops 34, and less of theirsurface will be acted upon. In extreme cases when gales are blowing thisdepression may be increased so much that to injury and ultimatedestruction.

In extreme cases the adjustment of the blades directly by the wind maybe assisted by means of a friction-brake operated automatically by agovernor in a manner which will be presently explained. I

38' are two weights secured to two bent levers 39, which latter arehinged at 40 to upright shaft 16.

41 are two rods pivotally connected to levers 39 at their upperhorizontal portion and reach-downto a flanged sleeve 42, surroundingshaft 16. Vertically confined between its two horizontally-extendingflanges this sleeve 42 isloosely surrounded by another sleeve 43,

-which has two arms 44 extending at either sidefrom it.

45 is a frustum-shaped friction-brake having, also, two arms 46extending out from it.

By means of rods 47 passing from arms 44 to.

arms46 this friction-brake is connected to sleeve 43.

48 is a friction-cone rigidly secured to upright shaft 16. If the speedof the wheel overruns the safe limits, centrifugal force will swingweights 38 outwardly and raise by means of rods 41 sleeves 42 43 andfrictionbrake 45. This latter impinges against fric tion-cone 48, andthus retards the movement of shafts 16 and 7. Frame 29 of the wheelbeing rigid on shaft 7 is also retarded, and falling behind frame 30causes the front edge of blades 6 to slip up in their loops whichconfine them on the formers arms. The rear edges of the blades move withframe 30, which is independent from shaft 7, and to the arms of whichblades 6 are hinged. (See dotted lines in Fig. 2.) In this way thesurface of the wheel available to the action of the wind is lessened andas a consequence its speed decreased.

50 is a" guide revolving with shaft 16 and having a slot in which thelower ends of the rods 39 are confined, and whereby the swingingmovement of the weights islimited to one in a radial direction only. Toprevent the friction-brake from revolving while engaged with thefriction-cone, two guides 51 are provided, which pass through arms 46 ofsaid brake and permit the same to move in a vertical direction only.Rods 47 are screwthreaded and provided with nuts, so as to permit theproper regulation of the distance between friction-brake and cone. Incase this mill is used in operating a single-acting pump'I provide aspiral spring 52, connected to an arm 53, extending out from the frameandv reaching to the connecting-rod 26. It is put under tension by thedownward stroke, and on the upward stroke compensates byits contractingpressure for the weight of the lifted water.

54 is a friction-wheel secured to a shaft 55 and receives motionfrom'upright shaft 16 by means of miter-wheels 56 and 23. It issurrounded by a steel band 57, which is secured at 58 and has its twofree ends fastened to the crank-shaped terminations 59 of shafts 60.These shafts revolve in bearings and have pinions 61 meshing into eachother,

which cause, when lever 63 is operated from below by means of a rope 64,a simultaneous contraction of the ends of band 57, which closely hugsfriction-wheel 54, and thereby retards and arrests the motion of theWheel.

If operations are to be stopped for some time, it is desirable that theblades be turned so as to present no resistance to the wind and preventunnecessary strain on the structure. This is best accomplished byturning frame 30 back until blades 6 are turned fiat (see dotted linesin Fig. 2) and then looking it, in this position. This locking may bedone by a hooked chain running oyer to frame 29 or by any other suitablemeans.

Having described my invention, I claim as new- 1. In a wind-wheel of thekind where the blades are supported on their longitudinal edges byradial arms, the construction and combination of two sets of radialarms, each reaching out from a hub and supported on a common shaft, oneof these hubs being loose 011 the latter, a number of blades hinged attheir longitudinal edges to one set of these radial arms and havingloops through which the arms of the other. set pass, and a number ofsprings securing the loose set of arms to an intermediate set of armsrigidly secured to the shaft, all substantially as shown and described.

2. In a wind-wheelof the kind Where the blades are supported on theirlongitudinal edges by radial arms, the construction and combination oftwo sets of arms, each radiating from a central hub, the two sets placedone behind the other on a common shaft, one of the hubs being loose, theother rig-idly secured to said shaft, a number of blades situated.between these arms and provided at their longitudinal edges with hingesand having loops attached to them reaching across their surface, theformer engaging with the arms on the loose hub, while the arms of thehub, fast with the shaft, pass through the latter, and springsconnecting to and holding the loose set of arms up against the wind, allsubstantially as shown and described.

3. In a wind-wheel of the kind where the blades are supported on theirlongitudinal edges by radial arms, the combination, with these bladeshinged and supported longitudinally between a loose and tight set ofarms, of a friction-brake automatically operated by a governor, which,by excessive speed, retards the movement of the wheel and with it thetight set of arms, causing thereby this IIO latter to fall behind theloose set of arms and operating-lever secured to one of the cranktiltingthe blades, all substantially 'as shown shafts, all substantially as shown and deand described. scribed.

4:. In a Windmill, the combination, with the In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in 5 drive-Wheel and shafting actuated by it, of apresence of two Witnesses.

friction-whee1 54, revolved by said shafting,

a band 57, surrounding loosely this friotion- JOSEPH MOKNIGHT' Wheel,two crank-shafts 59 60, connecting to Witnesses: the free ends of bands57, pinions 61 on said TM. II. GRANT,

1o crank-shafts, meshing into each other, and an M. V. ALLEN.

